9PM9Minute: Power consumption reduced by 4384 MW in Uttar Pradesh due to shutdown of house lights

Electricity demand in Uttar Pradesh decreased to 4384 MW due to people extinguishing the house lights at the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Energy Minister Shrikant Sharma said that usually these days the demand for electricity is around 13500 MW around 9 o’clock at night, but due to non-lighting of the lights for nine minutes at 9 o’clock on Sunday night, the demand for electricity has come down to about 9100 MW. 

It is worth noting that the engineers of the State Load Dispatch Center, which monitors the power supply of Uttar Pradesh, were expected to reduce the demand of electricity by about two thousand megawatts after the lights were extinguished. In view of declining demand, most of Hydro’s power plants were closed down, while many thermal power plants were also run at around 40-45 per cent less than their full capacity. Whereas before 9 o’clock, the demand for electricity was 14288 MW at 8.10 AM, 13540 at 8.40 AM, 13020 at 8.55 AM, 11732 at 8.59 AM, 11180 MW at 9 AM and minimum 9102 MW at 9.09 AM. After that, the demand increased with the burning of lights again.

On the other hand, around 31 thousand MW of electricity consumption was reduced during the day when the lights of the houses were shut all over the country. All India Power Engineers Federation chairman Shailendra Dubey said that around 1.17 lakh MW of power was being consumed across the country before 9 pm, which decreased to 86000 MW after 9 pm. According to Dubey, such a shortage was an unprecedented event for the sustainability of the power grid. He said that the power workers deserved congratulations for the safe and successful operation of the grid.